This disclosure relates to a lube and scavenge gear pump within a gas turbine engine and, more particularly, to a lube spacer bearing having a pressure loading channel for use within a lube stage of a lube and scavenge gear pump.
A gas turbine engine typically includes a lubrication system having a pump, such as a lube and scavenge gear pump, for moving lubricant from an oil tank to several components associated with a gas turbine engine. The pump lubricates and dissipates heat from these components and may return oil to the oil tank for reuse.
The lube and scavenge gear pump is typically powered by the gas turbine that provides power to the input shaft of the pump. The rotating input shaft rotates the gear sets within the lube and scavenge pump which moves the oil through the pump and lubrication system. These gear sets are positioned on shafts, commonly referred to as journals, and are supported by sets of traditional bearings on each end. These journals load on the inner diameter bore of traditional bearings during operation to keep the bearing flats clamped together. As opposed to traditional bearings, lube spacer bearings have inner diameter bore clearance relative to the shaft and are used in some lube and scavenge gear pumps in place of traditional bearings. The lube spacer bearings depend on pressure distribution loads and the contact angle between the outer diameter of the lube spacer bearing and inner diameter of a housing bore of the pump to keep the lube spacer bearing flats clamped together.